Driving out drug dealers was just one of the challenges a family faced when they opened a Salford corner shop more than 30 years ago.
Duchy Stores, in Duchy Road, Pendleton, went on to be a great success down the generations but when the Patel family first opened in1992 they faced racial abuse and criminal damage.
They had moved to the UK from Kenya for a better life but struggled in the early days to be accepted.
Co-founder Vanita Patel recalls: “It was a shock to the system. We did not anticipate all the grief and trouble that we’d have.
“If something happened in the shop, the kids would be bullied in school.”
Police had to be called regularly to cope with the early problems.
She said: “We used to have the police standing in our flat on a Friday night, looking to see who had broken an Asbo.”
The police eventually pursued those who caused property damage, and the shop has survived to provide a valuable service to the community down the years.
But the Patels faced more grief in 2021: the loss of family patriarch, Ramesh Patel.
Every New Year’s Eve, the family launch fireworks in his memory, and consistently have about 200 attendees.
She said: “It’s nice to know customers appreciate the effort and hard work that’s gone into the shop throughout the year.”
Ramesh’s eldest son, Priyesh, went on to open his second corner shop and has subsequently won several retail awards.
He said: “We have to press forward, that’s what he would’ve wanted. Everything he did for us, was to prepare us for our futures.
“Keep focused… keep working to improve your family’s future. Ultimately, what’s the world without family?”
The Patels are now preparing for their third annual New Year’s Eve celebration in honour of Ramesh and their Duchy Stores continues into its fourth decade.
Recent Comments